Jan. 17, 2011 – ATV Digest

January 17, 2011

Polaris’ new UTV features 88 hp engine

Polaris Industries has added an “extreme performance” vehicle to its UTV family.
The recently introduced Ranger RZR XP 900 will feature a new power plant that provides acceleration that is 29 percent quicker than its nearest competitor, the company said in a press release.
“When we set out to design the Ranger RZR XP 900, we wanted to create a ground-breaking, high performance vehicle to complement our current, best-selling Ranger RZR line,” Matt Homan, vice president and general manager of Polaris’ Off-Road Vehicles Division, said in a press release.
Polaris believes it has done that with the XP 900, which features a new 88 hp, 900 Twin, Electronic Fuel Injected engine, a new 3-Link Trailing Arm Independent Rear Suspension with 13 inches of ground clearance and 14 inches of travel.
The 3-link Trailing Arm design consists of two extra-long radius rods and a far forward-connecting trailing arm, resulting in a strong, yet lightweight system. The Ranger RZR XP 900 also is outfitted with adjustable, premium 2-inch body Fox Podium X 2.0 shocks.
For safety, the Ranger RZR XP 900 has a certified roll-over protective structure.
The Ranger RZR XP 900, offered in Indy Red and a White Lightening limited edition model, will be available at Polaris dealerships this month, the company said. More than 70 Polaris accessories, including cargo boxes, winches and protection, also will be available at launch.

Key public lands bill dropped in the u.s. senate

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stopped efforts to pass an omnibus public lands bills that would have restricted off-highway vehicle access to public lands, reported the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).
Reid introduced the bill, the “America’s Great Outdoors Act of 2010,” on Dec. 17 as a substitute to the “Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2009,” which is unrelated. The new bill would have restricted access to thousands of acres of public land, which key representatives, including House Natural Resources Chairman-elect Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), opposed.
The AMA, which has issued action alerts, written letters and applied procedural pressure to combat Reid’s efforts, praised the efforts of its action alert subscribers for playing a role in opposing the legislation. However, AMA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland also warned that Reid could bring a smaller version of the bill back to the floor.
“We need to protect public land for future generations, not from future generations, and that includes responsible OHV recreation access,” Moreland said in a release. “In addition, legislation deserves a full and public debate on its merits, and parliamentary tricks and sleight-of-hand, such as what we saw in 2009 and what we’ve experienced here, do not allow that.”

ATV-related injuries decrease, report finds

ATV-related injuries have declined for both youth and adults, according to the federal government.
Youth ATV injuries have declined 14 percent, according to a recent report released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Total ATV-related injuries in 2009 decreased more than 2 percent from 2008. The report also estimates the third consecutive decline in the total number of deaths in three years (2006-2008), with a 16 percent decrease occurring over that period.
The CPSC also reported the risk of injury per 10,000 four-wheel ATVs in use declined by 5 percent from 2008 to 2009. This is the eighth straight year that injury risk for ATV riders has decreased — a downward trend the CPSC also describes as statistically significant — and it is now lower than at any time since CPSC began calculating this injury risk in 1985.
“The commitment of the member companies of the ATV Safety Institute (ASI) to rider education, parental supervision and state legislation is reflected in the continued decline of ATV injuries and fatalities as reported by the CPSC,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president, ASI. “Since 1984, the major manufacturers and distributors of ATVs in the United States have worked closely with the CPSC to implement ongoing safety initiatives.”

Polaris Announces 2011 Race Teams and Contingency

Polaris Industries comes into the 2011 race season with teams competing in the Grand National Cross Country series (GNCC), World Off-Road Championship series (WORCS), Best in the Desert (BITD), TORC, LUCAS and Mud racing. Polaris also will continue to offer its ATV racing contingency program. “Polaris is excited for another year of ATV and side-by-side racing,” said Donna Beadle, race team manager for Polaris’ Off-Road Division.
Polaris will continue to offer an ATV race contingency program, in eight ATV racing series, with a total purse of almost $400,000. Polaris is offering contingencies in GNCC, WORCS, ATVA-AMA Motocross Nationals, AMA National Harescramble, Iowa ATV Hare Scramble Series (IATVHSS), New England ATV Motocross Series (NEATV), the Heartland Challenge and Canadian Motorsport Racing Club Series (CMRC). PSB